Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Improvement Act of 2025

This bill updates payment rules for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which helps farmers conserve land and water. It directly affects farmers who enroll in the program, particularly those with water rights or using dryland farming (non-irrigated agriculture). Key changes include: allowing landowners to choose annual payment distribution; setting payment rates equal to irrigated rates for agreements permanently retiring water rights; and creating a new payment rate for dryland uses based on the difference between irrigated and dryland rates. Existing agreements with lower rates will be adjusted retroactively under these new rules. The bill aims to better align payments with conservation outcomes like water savings.